Tag Archives: drinking

{it’s national beer day!}

7 Apr

i admit i am kind of disappointed in myself that i only just discovered this as of 9:07 a.m. this morning… but i will be making sure to celebrate later today! 🙂

in honour of this awesome holiday, i thought i would share some fotos of some of my favourite beers i have tried. i tend to drink beer the way i eat food – seasonally and liberally, haha.

but seriously, i like to “drink the rainbow” and i will drink beers that correlate with the seasons.

for example, now that we are in spring, i have been letting go of the darker beers and transitioning into lighter beers like wheats, belgians, and saisons. in summer you will catch me drinking IPAs, lagers, and occasional pilsners. in autumn i like my reds and of course, can’t get enough of oktobetrfests. and then when winter rolls back around i’ll divulge in browns, porters, and stouts.

i hope you enjoy! drink the rainbow! 😉

and, ya know, drink responsibly!! 

although it’s not quite time for this summerfest beer, it is one of my all-time favourite beers! it’s so clean and crisp and refreshing and has a lovely finish. this lager is very easy to drink, particularly while chillin’ on the porch and enjoying the sunset. sierra nevada is also one of my all-time favourite breweries and i’ve read online they are known for having very clean water, which is very appealing to me.

i look forward to seeing this back on the shelves.

belgain witbiers have a soft spot in my heart and belly… they were the “gateway” beer for me, once i first put down the boring bottles and opened up my palate to microbrews. i love the refreshing fruitiness of a witbier! “ZON” {meaning “sun”} has a hint of coriander and a low amount of alcohol and makes this one easy to drink – like orange juice! a very pleasing brew from the missouri-based boulevard brewing company.

although this isn’t a “red,” it has a beautiful red colour. i haven’t had this one in a while, but i remember thinking it was very interesting. “raging bitch” is a belgian-style IPA, which has interesting and complex features, as you can imagine. i am a fan of flying dog brewery, but this one is rather strong {8.3%} and it’s way more of a sipping brew, for me. delicious, nonetheless… and it pairs well with spicy food. of course, i’m a fan of flying dog brewery, since they are based in maryland.

i also happen to love the bizarre cartooning on the label.

this is a great nut brown ale! it’s well-balanced and has tremendous drinkability. not too sweet, not to bitter – it’s just right. ska brewing company has fun marketing, and they are based out of a small mountain town in colorado. i haven’t tried too many of their other beers, but this one is a go-to if/when i can find it.

ohhh, lagunitas. so full of diversity and flavour… and ABV!

seriously, the brews they come up with over there in california are super-duper strong and therefore i also enjoy sipping them… i have to watch myself because those kinds of beers will go to my head rather quickly!

undercover” is a nice and malty ale with a boozy undertone, thanks to the 9.6% ABV. it’s a beautiful colour and for some funny reason, i like drinking it while i’m munching on pickles.

new belgium is my all-time favourite brewing company. my affinity for them dates back to 2006 when i reached out to the company and had the most pleasant interaction with one of the staff members, via email. the employee-owned colorado company comes up with some of the most unique flavour combinations and i love to support their “green” mission.

giddy-up” does not disappoint in the “unique combinations” arena. brewed with espresso and lemon peel, this medium ale packs a power punch of flavours.

who doesn’t love chocolate and peanut butter?!

put that combination together in a beer, and i’m happy as a clam. i discovered this limited edition chocolate peanut butter imperial porter shortly after moving to north carolina. this state has some funny liquor laws, but one of the benefits of it, is you can drink a beer in beer stores. they also sell a lot of “single serving” beers, so it’s fun to create your own 6-pack and sample stuff you may have never tried… which i did when purchasing this beer from horny goat brewery in wisconsin {ha – that name!}

it’s pretty much as delicious as it sounds and makes for a perfect after-dinner brew, as it basically tastes like dessert.

the ultimate “dessert beer” for me – at least until i discover something that replaces it – is this decadent porter from saranac brewing company out of new york.

i will mention, it is extremely sweet. you’ll want to drink more than one, but for me, one is enough because of the sweetness. and this brew literally tastes exactly like a s’more… it’s kind of mind-blowing. hints of graham cracker, chocolate, and even marshmallow make your palate do a happy-dance.


what are some of your favourite beers?

 

{thirsty thursday : new belgium’s pumpkick brew!}

17 Sep

pumpkick-1

it’s just around the bend… that wonderful feeling in the air, as summer transitions to autumn… this is, afterall, my favourite time of year… and i humbly and somewhat eagerly welcome the change of seasons {both literally – in nature, and figuratively – in my own life} as i toast with a yummy, beautiful brew — pumpkick, from new belgium… and goodness, they sure know what they’re doing when it comes to beer!

and i’m slowly learning what i’m doing when it comes to life…

 

SLAINTE!

 

{“drink the rainbow” : berry-cream vitamix smoothie!}

16 Jul

it’s been a while since i’ve done a post about a vitamix smoothie!  however, it’s that time of year when i find myself wanting to eat a little less and drink a little more. the heat of the summer causes us to sweat out toxins and i find that my body craves the freshness of a cold fruit smoothie to help replenish vital minerals.

chixpasta-1-3

berry-cream vitamix smoothie : frozen blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and peaches, with fresh dates and coconut milk

do you sometimes do what i do?

…catch myself feeling guilty for not drinking more smoothies, so i’ll run out and buy a bunch of stuff to make them with, but then i don’t make nearly as many smoothies as i said i would, and those yummy ingredients go bad in the fridge. and nothing upsets me more than wasting food! {and money, for that matter!}

well, may i suggest something i do in order to avoid wasting precious resources?!  just keep canned or boxed coconut milk in the house and/or fridge! you can purchase coconut milk in aseptic {shelf-stable} containers. why coconut milk? well, i personally prefer coconut milk for the healthy fat content as well as the the fact that the coconut is pretty much one of the most amazing things on the planet! not only is coconut milk loaded with vitamins and minerals, it’s also great for your heart, your hair, your skin, your nails… shall i go on?! furthermore, i’ve created the habit of freezing any overripe fruits that i buy, and that way i always have the two main ingredients i need to make a smoothie!

of course, you can also add in spinach or kale to get a little extra vitamins and nutrients. for this concoction, i kept it pure and simple. just frozen blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and peaches blended with fresh dates and coconut milk. it’s light and fresh and only gently sweet. dates are nature’s candy! they are loaded with potassium and create a little sweetness without adding in unnecessary calories or sugar. and this smoothie is perfectly refreshing on a hot summer afternoon!

drink the rainbow!

{thirsty thursday – session lager}

3 Apr

image

i’ve definitely been throwing back a few of these in the last few weeks…

just your good ol’ basic lager. clean, smooth taste, easy finish. compliments a frozen pizza after a long day at work just perfectly! 😉

{thirsty thursday – saison 88}

6 Mar

saison-1

saisons are some of my favourite kinds of beer.  when i worked for whole foods in new york city, we had a beer room!  i was going to link you, to show it off to you guys – but apparently it closed!  i can’t believe it!… it’s hard to imagine what it looks like or what’s there now.  life is weird like that – how stuff changes…

i digress.

when i worked at that awesome store, the beer room had a local contest for homebrewers – and the winner got to put their beer on one of our taps!  the winner was a saison, farmhouse ale. it was, and maybe to this day still is, one of the BEST beers i have ever tried if not my favourite beer i’ve ever tried.  and, i gotta tell ya – i’ve tried quite a few beers.  this saison 88 from santa fe brewing company reminded me a lot of that delicious homebrew i had in ol’ NYC some 5 years ago now. i remember it well, though.  it stayed with me… one remembers a really good beer.

{a week of vitamix smoothies – day five : strawberries, blueberries, mangos, vanilla ice cream}

30 Aug

mangostrawblueberryvanilla-3

it’s magenta!

this one should be like, the official “food and foto” smoothie… right?! 😉

mangostrawblueberryvanilla-1

– fresh strawberries

– frozen blueberries

– frozen mango

– apple juice

– splash of grape juice

– squeeze of honey

– vanilla {coconut} ice cream

mangostrawblueberryvanilla-2

i decided to try the ice cream since it was in my freezer anyway, and i had run out of regular coconut milk. i try to limit my dairy intake overall… i admit it’s tough because i LOVE cheese!!!!!  so i substitute where i can in other ways.  like with this smoothie, i used coconut milk ice cream 🙂

mangostrawblueberryvanilla-3

this was SUPER good… and was more rich than other smoothies i’ve made, probably because of the ice cream.  it’s good to mix it up sometimes, yanno?!  variety is the spice of life, right?!

drink the rainbow!

😉

{a week of vitamix smoothies – day four : blueberries, spinach, dates, orange juice}

29 Aug

almmilkflaxspinachblue-3

this one was definitely green… albeit an odd shade…

tasted great, though!

almmilkflaxspinachblue-1

– frozen blueberries

– frozen raspberries

– fresh spinach

– 2 pitted dates {could substitute honey or agave}

– lots of orange juice

– few splashes almond milk

almmilkflaxspinachblue-2

i usually use more “milk” than juice, but i wanted to switch it up this time….

almmilkflaxspinachblue-3

i bought a TON of blueberries on a one-day sale and froze them. when they are in season, they still taste great, but the freezing process zaps some of the sweetness.  the dates really help sweeten without overpowering.

drink the rainbow! 😀

{a week of vitamix smoothies – day three : bananas, blueberries, flax seeds, coconut milk}

28 Aug

bluebananaflaxalmond-3

 

yep…

bluebananaflaxalmond-1

– frozen blueberries

– frozen banana chunks

– flax seeds

– coconut milk

– 1 pitted date or teaspoon honey to sweeten {optional}

…that’s it.

bluebananaflaxalmond-2

kept this one SUPER SIMPLE.

bluebananaflaxalmond-3

and what a lovely colour, i must say!

drink the rainbow! 😀

{a week of vitamix smoothies – day two : mangos, blueberries, spinach, flaxseeds, almond milk}

27 Aug

mangoflaxblueberrysmoothie-4

yet another colourful creation… and although this one is definitely “green”… it’s not at all green.

mangoflaxblueberrysmoothie-1

– frozen blueberries

– fresh spinach

– 2 pitted dates

– whole flax seeds

– apple juice

– almond milk

mangoflaxblueberrysmoothie-3

as i’ve mentioned before, i’m not big on measuring – i just ‘eyeball it’ usually… i’d say the basic ratio is roughly 1 cup solids to 1 cup liquids, generally speaking…

mangoflaxblueberrysmoothie-4

adjust consistency to your liking, adding more liquid or fruit as necessary… easy peasy.

DRINK THE RAINBOW!

😀

{a week of vitamix smoothies — day one : blueberries, pineapple, coconut milk}

26 Aug

the kids are up early and back in school, the leaves are slowly beginning to change their colours, the air just smells different, and the produce section is starting to feature those fall harvests we look forward to…

and i figured since the seasons are about to change, i would honour the idea of cleansing with the seasons.  so, this week i will feature 5 different vitamix smoothie recipes – each creation will also feature seasonal blueberries… mmmmm…

so here’s the first one :

pineappleblueberrysmoothie-3

this mix created such a pretty colour!  it’s always a surprise when one experiments with smoothie concoctions in the vitamix… but it’s also {obviously} half the fun! 😉

pineappleblueberrysmoothie-1

– blueberries

– pineapple

– black grapes

– teaspoon local honey

– mango juice

– coconut milk

pineappleblueberrysmoothie-2

pineappleblueberrysmoothie-3

{thirsty thursday – new stuff i love : the life factory water bottle and kishu charcoal water filter}

22 Aug

waterbottleandfilter-7

and here we have ’em in action…

waterbottleandfilter-1

first : the kishu active charcoal water filter.

have you spotted these anywhere yet?!  they’re somewhat new to the market, but i imagine you’ll start to see them pop up in a lot of places.

waterbottleandfilter-2

the kishu water filter is just basic active charcoal that’s undergone the carbonization process… making it like a rock.

waterbottleandfilter-3

and this filter helps rid basic tap water of any lead, mercury, and chlorine… to name a few.

waterbottleandfilter-4

second : this super cool glass water bottle from life factory. Continue reading

{thirsty thursday – delicious beers you ought to try}

18 Jul

just some suggestions for a few life-celebrating libations…

goodjuju-1

good juju is brewed with ginger – a unique one for sure!  it compliments spicy snacks rather well…

colette-1

colette is a wonderfully bright and bubbly farmhouse ale that finishes like champagne, with a high alcohol content…

firerockpaleale-1

fire rock is a kona brewing company pale ale. this yummy beer gets its dark colour from roasted hops, which aren’t too overwhelming… and the flavour does not disappoint!

newbelgiumloft-1

new belgium brewery just knows how it’s done.  i’ve never had a beer i didn’t like from them… loft is a seasonal brew full of citrus notes from the kaffir lime and is in the pilsner family.

{i don’t remember exactly what i put in this vitamix smoothie…}

17 Jul

…but it was still delicious!

vitamixflaxsmoothie-3

and pretty! …

vitamixflaxsmoothie-1

it appears to be berries, spinach, dates, coconut milk, flax… i feel like i’ve made this one before?! Continue reading

{drink the rainbow! – clementine creamsicle vitamix juice}

23 Apr

this is super delicious, as you can imagine!!

my only issue with this drink right now is that i want one, and yet it’s snowing outside, so it’s just kinda weird… have i mentioned how i’m so beyond ready for spring?!? – even though technically it ought to be here by now…! sigh…

randomvitamix-6
for this creation, i used some clementines i bought in a bag and just pre-peeled some for smoothies and snacking…

randomvitamix-7
– clementines {about 3/4 cup}
– coconut milk {about 3/4 cup}
– ice

blend on high until desired consistency is reached and ENJOY!
coconut milk is wonderfully creamy and makes drinks like this extra delicious and frothy.

{drink the rainbow! – red-beet & antioxidant vitamix juice}

29 Mar

well folks, unfortunately i haven’t been feeling so great over the last few days… aches, pains, watery-eyes, stuffy-nose, sore-throat, the whole {nasty} bit… it’s okay, i will patiently let it run its course… but what better way to cure what ails me than to drink some colour…

MAGENTA, in this case 🙂

vitamix juice-1

– frozen mixed berries {about 1/4 cup}

– orange juice {about 1/2 cup}

– 1/2 fresh pear or apple, cut in half

– 1/2 large boiled red beet {could also do raw}

– 2 or 3 pitted dates {one of my favourite go-to sweetners}

– splash of almond or coconut milk

– squeeze of lemon or lime

– filtered water

i heart the vitamix. you just throw this all in and crank it on high until well-blended. then drink, enjoy, and watch your skin glow and your system restore itself!

have a great weekend! i’ll be taking mine nice and easy…

%d bloggers like this: